Cigarette box and blank therefor



Oct. 15, 1963 H. MARGULIES CIGARETTE BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1961 HERMAN MARGULIIES ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1963 H. MARGULIES 7,

CIGARETTE BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed June 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

' INVENTOR. HERMAN MARGULIES ZZZWA M ATTORNEY 3,197,008 CIGARETTE BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR Herman Margulies, Lake Hiawatha, N1, assignor of twenty percent to Earnes H. Quest, Brooklyn, N.Y., and twenty percent to John Zeigler, New York, N.Y.

Filed June 16, 1961, Ser. No. 117,625 6 Claims. ((31. 205-412) This invention relates to a cigarette box and blank therefor, and more particularly to a novel cigarette box made from a onepiece blank while providing for reciprocatory motion of a housing for cigarettes or the like.

Cigarettes have been conventionally packaged in what is known as a soft pack. More recently, it has been popular to package cigarettes in a hard pack, more commonly known as a flip-top box. The cigarette box of the present invention is made from the same type of paper as a flip-top box and therefore may be designated as a hard pack. Thus, the cigarette box of the present invention is made from a relatively stifl paper and therefore is not readily susceptible to crushing.

The cigarette 'box of the present invention is made from a onepiece blank with fold lines being provided so that the assembled box provides a housing in the nature of a tray for supporting the cigarettes. The structural interrelationship of the fold lines of the blank enable the housing or tray to reciprocate to an open disposition so that the cigarettes are more readily dispensed therefrom.

In a soft pack, it is very difiicult to remove a cigarette therefrom without touching the same with ones fingers. The same is true with a flip-top box. In a soft pack and a flip-top box, the exposed portion of a cigarette in the open disposition of the pack is always the filter tip end of the cigarette. Accordingly, the packaging of cigarettes has not been entirely satisfactory from a sanitary point of view.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel cigarette box.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel cigarette box which is more sanitary as pertains to the removal of cigarettes therefrom while providing a box which more readily facilitates such removal of cigarettes.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a package of cigarettes wherein the cigarettes are disposed within a slidable tray, while at the same time providing said package from a onepiece blank.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel one-piece blank from which a package for articles such as cigarettes may be assembled.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a cigarette package made from stiff paper and having means enabling only one cigarette to be dispensed at a time.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank for the cigarette package of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled cigarette box in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating another stage in the assembly of the box in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the cigarette box of the present invention in its closed disposition.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of the cigarette box of the present invention in its open disposition.

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FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional View taken along lines 77 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a blank designated generally as 10. p

The blank 16 is an integral onepiece blank which is generally L-shaped. The blank 10 includes a top wall section 12 which is separated from a side wall section 14 by a fold line 16. The side wall section 14 is separated from a bottom wall section 18 by a fold line 29. The top wall section 12 and the bottom wall section 18 are provided with notches 22 and 24 respectively.

The bottom wall section 18 is provided with a tab 26 along one side thereof with a fold line 28 therebetween. A rear wall section 36 extends along the length of the bottom wall section 1% on the side opposite from the notch 24 with a fold line 32 disposed therebetween. The surface of the rear wall section 36 which is exposed in FIG- URE 1 is provided with an adhesive coating.

The side wall section 14 is provided with a tab 34 with a fold line 35 being disposed therebetween. The tab 34 is in the shape of a truncated triangle and the exposed surface illustrated in FIGURE 1 is coated with an adhesive.

The top wall section 12 is provided with a side wall section 38 with a fold line 4t: therebetween. The side wall section 38 is provided with a tab 42 separated therefrom by fold line 44. The tab 42 is identical with tab 34. A rear wall section 46 is connected to one side of the top wall section 12 with a fold line 4-8 therebetween. A panel 59 is integrally connected to the rear wall section 45 with a perforated fold line 52 disposed therebetween. The panel 5'9 is connected to a panel 54 with a perforated fold line 56 disposed therebetween.

The panel 54 is separated from the bottom wall section at} by a fold line 58. The bottom wall section 60 is provided with a side wall section 62 with a fold line 64 being disposed therebetween. The side wall section 62 is provided with a tab 66 separated therefrom by fold line 68. The length of the tab 66 is less than the length of the side wall section 62. The side wall section 62 is provided with a notch 69 extending from a marginal portion which lacks a tab.

The side wall section 62 is provided with a tab 76' separated therefrom by a fold line. The tab 76 is integrally connected only to the side wall section 62 and is provided with dimensions so as to be in abutting contact with the end of the tab 34 and edges of the panels 51 and 54.

The bottom wall section 60 is provided along its opposite side with a side wall section 62 separated therefrom by a fold line 74 The side wall section 72 is provided with a tab 76 with a fold line 78 disposed therebetween. The side wall section 72 is provided with a tab 80 and a notch 32. Thus, it will be seen that the side wall sections 62 and 72 and their respective tabs and notches me identical.

A front wall panel 84 is connected along one side of the bottom wall section 65} with a fold line disposed therebetween. A front wall panel 86 is connected to the front wall panel 84- by a bridging section 88 with a fold line disposed between said bridging section 88 and said panels 84 and 86. The panel 36 is provided with a tab 90 having an adhesive coating on the exposed surface illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Side wall section 62 is provided with a front wall section 92 separated therefrom !by a fold line 94. The distance between the fold 94 and the open end of the slot 69 corresponds with the thickness of the bridging section 83. The side wall section 72 is provided with a front wall section 96 separated therefrom by a fold line 98. The

distance between the fold line 98 and the open end of the notch 82 corresponds with t .e Width of the bridging section 88.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the cigarette box of the present invention in an intermediate stage of assembly. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the panel 8-5 has been folded so as to be substantially parallel to the panel 84 with the bridging section 83 substantially perpendicular to said panels 84 and 86. The adhesive coated surface on the tab 99 is adhesively secured to the bottom wall section of in FIGURE 2, the front Wall section 92 has been adhesively secured to the panel 84. It will be noted that the length of the front wall section 92 is substantially equal to one-half the length of the panel 84 and that the width of the front wall section 92 corresponds with the height of the panel 84. When the front wall section 3'2 has been adhesively secured to the panel 84, the side Wall section 62 and the tab 79 are upright with respect to the bottom Wall section 611. Thereafter, the side wall section 72, the front Wall section 96 and the tab 8%? are folded so as to assume the corresponding positions of elements 62, 7t) and 92.

Thereafter, the panels and 54 are manipulated so that the fold lines 52 and 5e are disposed as shown in FIGURE 2. At this point, it will be noted that the panel 54 is in abutting contact with and parallel vto the tabs 76 and 86*. Then the top wall section 12 and rear wall section 46 are pivoted about fold line 52 so that top wall section 12 overlies tabs 65 and 76 in parallel spaced relationship with respect to the bottom wall section 613* as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3.

Thereafter, side wall section 14 and bottom wall section 18 are pivoted about fold lines 16 and 2 so that side Wall section 14 overlies the side wall section 62 and the bottom wall section 18 overlies the bottom wall section 69. Then tab 26 is pivoted about fold line 28 so as to be juxtaposed to the side wall section 72. Thereafter, side Wall section 38 is pivoted about fold line 46 and adhesively secured to tab 26. Then the tabs 34 and 42 are folded and adhesively secured to the rear wall section 46. Thereafter, the rear wall section 3% is folded about fold line 32 and adhesively secured to the tabs 3-4 and 42 and the rear wall section 46.

In between the assembly stages illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, a plurality of cigarettes which are illustrated in phantom in FIGURES 5-7 may be disposed on the bottom wall section 60. After the package of the present invention has been assembled as shown in FIGURE 4, a cellophane wrapper with a tear string will be disposed therearound.

When it is desired to smoke the cigarettes Within the package of the present invention, the tear string is manipulated so as to provide access to the bridging section 88 and bottom wall section 6% The notches 22 and 24 permit the bridging section 88 and the bottom wall section 64) to be engaged with a thumb and another finger so that the tray for the cigarettes may be reciprocated from the position shown in FEGURE 6 to the position shown in FIGURE 7. As the tray for the cigarettes reciprocates to the position shown in FIGURE 7, it will be noted that the rear wall section 66 pivots about the :fold line 48 and the bellows arrangement of panels 51 and 54 is expanded.

When the package of the present invention has been manipulated to the position shown in FIGURE 7, the notches 69 and 82 permit a cigarette to be readily removed. Thus, the cigarette may be forced through the notch 69 by exerting a pressure on the opposite end of the cigarette. Alternatively, the cigarette package may be manipulated so as to place the wall sections 12 and 61 substantially upright with respect to a horizontal surface whereby the cigarette will slide through the notch 69. As

' shown more clearly in FIGURES 6 and 7, the notches 69 and 82 are substantially greater than the diameter of a Thus, a cigarette may be removed from the cigarette.

package of the present invention in a more sanitary manner while simultaneously being disposed within a (hard pack) package. it will be noted that the cigarette package of the present invention is made from a one-piece blank while at the same time provision is made so that the cigarette tray may reciprocate.

As used hereinafter, the words cigarette tray will be interpreted as that portion of the package which reciprocates and supports the cigarettes, namely elements 6t38ti and elements 84 98. The remaining elements may be referred to as a housing having an open end.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope or the invention.

I claim:

1. A container for cigarettes or the like comprising a rectangular housing open at one end and having a closed end opposite from said open end, a slidable tray disposed within said housing, said tray having a flat bottom wall, parallel upstanding side walls, and first and second upstanding end walls, said tray first end Wall closing said open end of said housing and extending between said tray parallel side walls, said tray second end wall consisting of two tabular portions integral with said tray side Walls, a plurality of cigarettes in said tray, said cigarettes being aligned parallel to said tray end walls, said tabular portions having a length less than half the length of said first end wall, said tabular portions supporting the ends of said cigarettes adjacent said second end Wall, said tray bottom wall being integrally connected with said housing other end along the edge of said bottom wall adjacent said tray second end wall, and said slidable tray and housing being made from a semi-stifi paper.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tray first end wall includes two panels of said paper with a bridging section therebetween to doubly reinforce this end wall because of the continued use thereof.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein tray side walls are provided with U-shaped peripheral aligned notches adjacent said tray first end wall, said notches having a transverse dimension larger than the transverse dimension of said cigarettes supported by said tray.

4. An integral semi-stiff paper blank for a container comprising a substantially rectangular top wall section, a first bottom Wall section sinilar to said top wall section, a rear wall section and a collapsible section between said top and said first bottom wall sections, a second bottom wall section, a first side wall section between said top and said second bottom wall sections, a second side wall section extending from one side of one of said top and second bottom wall sections, third and fourth side wall sections on opposite sides of said first bottom wall section, first and second end wall tabs on a similar end respectively of said third and fourth side wall sections, and a third end wall extending from at least one of said first bottom wall, said third side wall and said fourth side wall.

5. The blank of claim 4 wherein said second bottom wall section has a reinforcing section attached to and extending along the length of one side thereof for reinforcing said rear wall section.

6. The blank of claim 4 wherein said third and fourth side wall sections have tabs extending therefrom to form a partial top wall opposite said first bottom wall.

References Gited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,889 Scott Apr. 24, 1888 385,924 Griswold July 10, 1888 1,668,171 Pratt May 1, 1928 1,898,056 Johnson Feb. 2l, 1933 

1. A CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR HOUSING OPEN AT ONE END AND HAVING A CLOSED END OPPOSITE FROM SAID OPEN END, A SLIDABLE TRAY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID TRAY HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM WALL, PARALLEL UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS, AND FIRST AND SECOND UPSTANDING END WALLS, SAID TRAY FIRST END WALL CLOSING SAID OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TRAY PARALLEL SIDE WALLS, SAID TRAY SECOND END WALL CONSISTING OF TWO TABULAR PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH SAID TRAY SIDE WALLS, A PLURALITY OF CIGARETTES IN SAID TRAY, SAID CIGARETTES BEING ALIGNED PARALLEL TO SAID TRAY END WALLS, SAID TABULAR PORTIONS HAVING A LENGTH LESS THAN HALF THE LENGTH OF SAID FIRST END WALL, SAID TABULAR PORTIONS SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF SAID CIGARETTES ADJACENT SAID SECOND END WALL, SAID TRAY BOTTOM WALL BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID HOUSING OTHER END ALONG THE EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL ADJACENT SAID TRAY SECOND END WALL, AND SAID SLIDABLE TRAY AND HOUSING BEING MADE FROM A SEMI-STIFF PAPER. 